Chapter 2: Exodus

As you approach the village center, you see two more pegasus riders flying around, calling out orders. Upon noticing you, one flies over. A young girl, perhaps a year older than you, lands in front of you. She wears white armor, and her blue hair is cut short. She pops a quick salute. "Captain! Everything's proceeding quickly. We'll be ready to leave in 10 minutes!" Rain nods.

"Leave?" you ask, as the knight flies off, returning to directing the few surviving villagers.

"Yes. We're taking you to Trine. I mean... You need all need a rest. And I need to know what happened here. Those brigands... They weren't..." She hesitates a moment. "Look, I shouldn't be telling you this, but I believe they were creatures called Risen..."

"Risen?" Bud asks. The first he's spoken since you told him about his father.

"Yes. Creatures bred from dark magic, necromancy. They... Well, you've seen them first-hand..."

"Wait... So, those... things... at the windmill... Those were the villagers...? My..." Your head is spinning. You wonder if one of the creatures you slew was you mother.

Rain places a hand on your shoulder. "I know it's a lot to take in. But right now, we need to focus on getting to safety." You notice the villagers loading what you think must be every cart in the village with food and clothes, while others attempt to hitch panicked horses. "We're setting out in ten minutes, you two go take a quick break."

You have time for 2:
A: June/Bud C
B: June/Rowan C
C: June/Rain C
D: Introduce self to the other pegasus knights
E: Speak with villager
F: Find somewhere private and rest

You notice Bud walking off, and decide to follow him. He stops and sits on a barrel, his shoulders slumped, his head down. You take a seat on a crate next to him. For a moment, you both sit in silence. Finally, he breaks the silence. "If only... If only I'd been faster..."

You cut him off. "Or if I had been stronger. But we can't dwell on our past mistakes, not while we've got these people alive in front of us."

Bud nods. "I know. It's just, I'm all alone now..."

"You have me."

Bud looks up at you. He gives you a sad smile. You can tell he needs a minute alone. You pat him on the shoulder and walk away.

You go searching for Rowan. You find hunched on the ground beside a broken box, with Rain bent over him, staff in hand. She closes her eyes, and a soft glow emanates from her staff. "What were you thinking?" she asks as the glow fades. "Trying to carry that box in this condition? You're lucky I'm here..."

Rowan is no longer exhausted

"Now sit there and give the healing a few minutes to take effect. Healer's orders." She gives Rowan a soft smile, and turns to face you. "Ah... You..."

Rain is clearly uncomfortable around you. "I... wanted to thank you. You saved me earlier."

Rain shakes her head. "I could have saved more of you, if only I'd gotten here sooner. I'm so sorry. My team and I were on a scouting mission, and all the other Holy Knights were already out on missions... The commander dispatched us as soon as we got back, but the sun was already fading..."

"That's not your fault," you tell her. "In fact, if it weren't for you, things would have been much worse." You hold up your axe, covered in drying blood, and force a grim smile.

"That's small comfort amidst all this death." She sighs, and you can see tears forming in her eyes again.

"If anyone is to blame, it's the bandits that attacked us."

"I know, I'm sorry, I... I just..." You hear a loud crashing noise, and a horse kicks loose of its harness. You see what you think to be relief flash across Rain's face. "I should go help." Before you can object, she dashes off to help.

You sigh, and help load the last few provisions into the carts. You're now ready to set out. The moon is high, and the clouds have passed. The night is bright. Lady Rain mounts her pegasus and heads to the front of the column. "All right, everyone, listen up! We make for Trine! Into the carts! Women and children in the front of the column, anyone who can fight in the rear! We Holy Knights will take point, so follow our lead, and keep close!"

(A) Do as Rain says and get in the rearmost cart
(B) Ask to ride with Rain

"Captain!" You step forward. "Could I... ride with you?"

Rain seems surprised, but quickly recovers. "Whatever for?"

"Well, if you're focused on controlling your pegasus, staying on the path, keeping pace with the carts... It wouldn't hurt to have a second pair of eyes, right?"

Rain hesitates, but one of her knights, the one in golden armor, flaps over. "She can ride with me, Cap'n!"

For a second, Rain looks legitimately concerned, but she quickly masks her expression. "Well... It would be a good idea to have a spotter, I suppose... Very well. But for Naga's sake, be careful."

The young knight lets out a piercing squeal of joy. You silently pray she'll never make that noise again. "Come on! Jump on up!" She pats her mount. As you climb up, carefully avoiding her mount's wings, she turns and whispers to you. "This is my first time flying with a passenger... I'm so excited!" You now understand Rain's concern, and you wrap your arms tightly around her waist. "Eek! Not so tight! You haven't even introduced yourself yet! OH! I'm Haley, by the way!"

"J-June," you say aloud. "Oh gods, what have I gotten myself into..." you think to yourself.

As the last of the villagers climbs into the cart, Rain gives a satisfied nod. "Alright. Remember, stay close! 6th wing, move out!"

You look back, and Bud gives you a worried glance. A second later, Haley's pegasus flaps it's wings and leaps forwards. "Oh, gods!" you yell, and Haley's scarlet ponytail flies into your mouth. "Mmph!"

After a few seconds, the ride smooths. Once you've gained enough altitude to clear the treetops, you find the ride to be exceptionally smooth, even smoother than a normal horse. Haley turns about, flying to the rear of the column. You notice the horrified look on your father's face, but wave and smile as Haley accelerates back into position at the front of the column.

You make good time for the first few minutes. It's as if the cart horses can't get away from the village fast enough. Between the cool breeze and the beautiful, moonlit view of the forests and fields below, you find yourself enjoying the ride, despite the constant prattle of your partner. You can't even hear half of what Haley says over the wind, but you occasionally nod or agree with her, which seems enough to satisfy her.

Eventually, you can see a familiar patch of trees in the distance. You realize this is the grove where you met those bandits earlier in the morning. Gods, was that really just this morning...? So much has changed since then... It is then that you remember the bandits bursting from the treeline in panic, and you wonder...

(A) Scout the trees on foot
(B) Fly ahead to scout the area
(C) Ignore it, an attack is just as likely to come from anywhere

You don't want to seem paranoid, but you do have a bad feeling... "Haley!" you call over the wind. "I thought I saw something in that patch of trees over there!"

"OK!" she yells enthusiastically. She maneuvers her pegasus alongside Rain, and begins sending out a series of hand signals. You wish she would keep both hands on the reins, but Rain nods, and Haley glances at you over your shoulder. "Hang on!"

Haley's pegasus dives, and the sudden burst of speed causes you to shriek and latch onto the golden-armored knight. You pull up just above the treetops and race toward the grove. You come in low and fast, making a wide pass before Haley slows into a hover on the far side. "See anything?" she asks.

"No," you reply. "It was probably just a deer or- look out!"

A burst of arrows flies out of the treetops. "No!" Haley shouts as she tries to bring her pegasus about, but it's too late. Two catch the pegasus in the chest, one in the left wing. The pegasus begins to fall, but manages to regain some control; still, not even the most generous on-looker would call your landing anything other than a crash. You and Haley are thrown from the pegasus, bouncing across the ground as the pegasus crashes through the underbrush. Haley reclaims her feet first - she's probably had quite a bit of experience with crashes, you think - and runs to her dying mount. "Oh, gods, no... Fare, get up, boy..."

You don't hesitate to take stock of the situation. You crashed out of range of the archers - you think - but they're between you and everyone else. You're fine for now, but you can tell you'll be sore later. You run to Haley, crouching over Fare; she seems fine physically, but you find her in a state of utter panic. You examine her partner's wounds. You don't know much about pegasi, but the arrows have penetrated his armor, and on a normal horse, the shots would be lethal. Instinctively, you reach for your herb pouch, and your fingers find... an elixer! You have no idea if they even work on animals, much less magical animals, but you have no better ideas. "Haley! Here. I'll get those arrows out, then you make him... I don't know, drink it or something. Just keep him calm for a minute..."

You shove the elixer in her hands. Haley looks dumbfounded, but then she nods and moves over to Fare's head. You take out your axe. You chop the head off the arrow embedded in Fare's wing and rip it out, then turn to the two in his chest. You consider for a moment, then cut the tails from the arrows, loose Fare's chest plate, and slide it off as gently as possible. He whines in protest, but Haley strokes his head and tells him to stay calm. You have no idea how deep the arrows go, but you know they need to come out. "Here comes the bad part..." you warn Haley, as you grip both arrows at once, ripping them out as quickly as possible. Fare doesn't make any sound, but the look in his eyes tells you all you need to know. "OK, they're out. Now give it to him."

Haley unstoppers the bottle, and commands Fare to drink it. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it - not so for pegasi, you notice. He drinks the elixer, and after a moment, feebly stumbles to his feet.

Haley's mount is exhausted

"Looks like he'll be fine," you say, and Haley breathes a sigh of relief. You step out from the brush onto the path, and see the convoy has stopped short of the grove. They seem to be planning something, but you can't tell what. "Can you fight unmounted?" you ask Haley. She gives a nod, and reaches for a sword on her belt.

(A) Close in on the grove, using the trees for cover
(B) Circle around to the convoy
(C) Try to fly back
(D) Wait to see what the others do

You decide your first priority is to link up with the rest of the convoy, but you worry about pushing Haley's mount too hard. You decide to circle around the grove on foot. You wave to Rain and try to draw a half-circle in the air. Haley nudges you out of the way, and you see she's tied a cloth to her lance. She waves it in an arc, pointing from your position to everyone else. Rain turns, and you can tell she is hastily giving commands. Two figures leave the path and enter the treeline, where you lose sight of them; from the size of the silhouette, you can tell one was Bud, and you can only assume Rowan was the other. "Let's go!" Haley exclaims, her normal pep returning.

You slip into the trees on the far side of the path from the hidden archers, moving as quietly as possible. Fare moves with a surprising amount of grace for a wounded pegasus marching through a forest, and you wonder if he may be the quietest among your group. You notice a humanoid figure a few meters ahead, crouched down by a bush.

You are almost certain this is a Risen, likely some form of axe fighter, judging from its frame. You grab Haley's shoulder, motioning her to be quiet. You point out the figure; Haley squints for a moment, then her eyes grow wide in realization. She looks to you, as if she wants you to decide what to do. Which one of you is the Holy Knight, again? You're struck by a sudden realization. You wonder if these Risen planted archers in the thicket, just so the rest could fall on you when your back was turned...

You hear someone whispering loudly in the distance. "Junebug?" The figures of Bud and Rowan are just barely visible. They don't seem to have noticed you, but they're heading straight towards the Risen.

(A) Attack
(B) Scan for more Risen and track their movements
(C) Try to signal Bud and Rowan without attracting its attention

You decide to try to take the Risen unaware, and signal Haley to keep Fare hidden in the brush. As you creep forward, axe in hand, a particularly bright and shiny stone catches your eye, and you have an idea. You pick up the stone, and hurl it towards Bud... a little too well. "Ow!" you hear, as you see the stone bounce off his head. You wince, but your plan seems to have worked. Rowan and Bud have stopped and started looking for the source of the stone. You can barely hear the Risen issue a soft hiss of annoyance. It seems that in the gloom, it was unable to tell where the stone came from, either.

Rowan slowly looks around, his pitchfork at the ready, and his eyes finally settle on... You can't be sure if he sees you or the Risen. You see another figure starting to creep towards them from the side, and realize it's time to fight. "TO ARMS!" you shout, dashing forward, leaping into the air, and driving your axe down into a Risen's head before it can react.

"Now, Bud!" you hear your father yell, and Bud suddenly ignites a torch. The light dazzles you, but you hear several Risen screeching in agony... including one right behind you. It never occurred to you that as you stalked one Risen, another could be stalking you... You say a silent thanks that you made the first move, as Haley runs to join you, Fare trailing close behind. You swing your axe toward the monster's head, but it deflects your blow. Before either of you can make another move, however, a sword bursts through his chest, so deep it almost strikes you. Haley kicks the corpse loose, and you move to join your father.

Bud has jammed the torch into the ground, and picked up his bow. He looses an arrow at a charging Risen, while Rowan fends another off with his pitchfork. Concentration flashes across Bud's face, and he fires a second arrow at his assailant, catching it in the kneecap. The Risen falls to the ground, as Rowan drives his pitchfork into the other so hard it lifts it into the air. You smash another one in the leg as you run to rejoin your father, and Haley pauses just long enough to lop off its head before it can recover. Three Risen remain, standing, staring, as if waiting for you to make the first move. You brace yourself, expecting them to rush you, but instead they turn and run in the direction of the thicket.

(A) Don't let them escape! Run them down!
(B) This is your chance to escape! Get back to the convoy!

You're surprised to see the Risen retreating, but you know you can't afford to let them escape. "Bud!" As you race to catch up to the Risen, an arrow flies by, catching one of them in the leg. It trips and falls to the ground. You run past it, opting to let Rowan or Haley finish it. You come close to another of the three, and tackle it to the ground. With a quick thud, you bury your axe into the back of its head. The last Risen clears the treeline and sprints across the path. You aim your axe, and send it sailing at the fleeing target. It catches him in the back, and he falls over, inches from the relative safety of the thicket.

You pant, catching your breath after the sudden footrace. You realize you're still sitting atop the corpse of a Risen. And that you've just thrown your only weapon into range of a team of archers. You relieve your dead mount of its axe, examining it closely. A steel axe, much heavier than yours, but it seems to be in fairly good condition, and you think you've gotten enough experience to use it just as effectively. Still, you really liked your old axe, and you make a note to recover it if you get a chance.

Lost June's Axe!
Gained Steel Axe!

You return to Rowan, Haley, and Bud. Haley is wiping the blood from her sword, while Bud digs the torch back out of the ground. Rowan approaches you. "You OK, Junebug? When we saw ya crash, we were all worried about ya..."

"Nothing a little rest won't fix, Pa. Come on, we need to get back to the others, there may be more around."

You slip through the trees until you manage to rejoin the convoy, halted far back from the thicket. You see Rain discussing with one of the villagers; she clearly doesn't like the answer she gets, as she shakes her head and starts walking toward you. Before she can get to you, however, the white-clad pegasus knight slips past her, an angry look in her eye. She walks past you, right up to Haley, and suddenly slaps her across the face. Everyone turns and stares.

"Haley..." she begins. "Don't you ever, ever scare me like that again." She moves past Haley, and addresses her wounded mount. "Aw, come here, Fare... Poor boy, look at your wing..." She wraps her arms around his neck, whispering something softly to him.

"I'm fine, by the way," Haley announces.

The knight lets go of Fare, and seems suddenly aware of all the people staring at her. She clears her throat, her face returning to an emotionless mask. "Yes. Well. I would hate to lose you. Or Fare here. So... Just be careful in the future."

Rain interjects. "Sound advice, Wendy. Now, if you two are done with your little lover's spat, we have a problem. If we don't figure out a way past this thicket, we'll need to take a detour that will have us riding well into tomorrow morning." She turns to you. "You got the best look at the thicket, how do you think we should proceed?"

"You're asking me for orders?"

"No, just your opinion. I'll be the one who makes the final call, but I want to see if you can impress me," she adds with a grin.

How do you think you should proceed?

(A) Have your unmounted units move in to go after the archers, with Wendy and Rain on standby
(B) Have all combat-capable units dismount and slip through the trees
(C) Have the villagers take cover under the carts and attempt to run past
(D) You have a torch, burn the thicket
(E) Take the detour

You're torn between two ideas. "Well... We could set the brush on fire, but there's the possibility it'll spread into a forest fire... I think the best course of action would be to send most of us in on foot, while you and Wendy stay back, ready to back us up."

Rain looks thoughtful for a minute. "I was going to say we should all move in together, but that's a clever idea, holding the two of us back. It gives us a bit more flexibility... All right then. Since this is your plan, you'll lead the ground force. Wendy and I will mount up and stay back unless you signal us, or we think you need help." You nod. It feels a bit odd, being placed in command of your father, your best friend, and a knight, but if Rain wants you leading...

You take your group off the path and start slipping through the trees. As you near the thicket, a few arrows fly your way, but they all wind up embedded in trees. Once you get closer, you can make out three archers in the branches of the trees. You glance into the thicket floor, wondering how many Risen lie in wait on the ground.

As you stare into the darkness, the brush suddenly parts. A massive Risen emerges, standing almost twice your height. It has some form of metal armor covering mos t of its body, but you notice several large gaps. You realize, to your horror, that peering out of each of those gaps are faces, each with the Risen's distinct glowing eyes and rows of razor-sharp teeth. It carries a giant spear which looks more like a small tree than a weapon. The beast throws its head back and unleashes a powerful roar, echoed by all its various other faces. You find yourself paralyzed with fear. "Naga, help us..." you hear Haley whisper.

The monster looks at you, right at you, and an odd expression washes across its face. You realize the creature is smiling...

(A) Try to hold your own against the creature while the others take out the archers
(B) Have Bud focus on the archers while the rest of you attack the monstrosity
(C) Forget the archers, signal Rain for backup immediately

"Bud, take down those archers! Rowan, Haley, keep that thing away from him!" You take your new-found steel axe and charge at the giant Risen. The creature braces itself, raising its over-sized lance. You cut your charge short and take a defensive stance as well. "Surround him." Rowan and Haley fan out and slowly move to either side of the monster.

Meanwhile, Bud has taken cover behind a tree, and is launching arrows at the tree-borne archers. The Risen archers fire at Bud, but most of their arrows thud into the tree's trunk. A few of Bud's arrows get caught in the branches, but one finally finds its mark, and an archer plummets to the ground, landing on its head with a sickening thump.

The large Risen maintains its defensive stance, but takes one hand off its lance, pointing at you. The archers suddenly wheel about, and two arrows whistle straight at you. "Junebug!" Rowan cries, diving in the way. His face twists in pain as the arrows strike him.

"Oh, gods, Pa!" You catch him as he falls, and over your shoulder, you see the Risen raise his lance to strike. You have no time to dodge, not with the extra weight of your father. Haley rushes in, and the Risen draws his thrust short in order to parry her slash. You drag Rowan back several steps, behind a small log, while Haley stares down the leader. She makes sure to keep the archers on his far side, using him as cover.

Bud continues to loose arrows at the archers. He catches one in the head, and it dies instantly, snagging on a branch as it falls. The final archer retaliates, catch Bud in the shoulder. You stand over Rowan, wondering what to do, when a now-familiar green aura begins to appear around him. You look down the path, and see Rain with her staff raised. "Stay down, Pa," you say, moving back into the fight.

The leader takes the offensive, thrusting at Haley as you move around to its side. She jumps out of the way, and the tip barely rakes across her armor. You use this chance to rush in and strike with your axe, driving it into one of the faces between the armor plates. The face screams in pain, but you realize it is the only one screaming, as the beast whirls around, swinging its lance at you. You dive to the ground, and bite into its ankle with your axe. This time, all of the faces roar in pain, and the creature falls to one knee.

The Risen archer is distracted by its leader's call, and exposes itself as it leans forward to look. Bud wastes no time putting an arrow into its neck. You and the creature both rise to your feet, glaring at each other. "Bud, the signal!"

"Right!" He arcs a pair of arrows high toward Rain and Wendy, and the knights take flight before they hit the ground. The Risen see the reinforcements coming, and thrusts at you with its spear. You sidestep, but it follows up with another step, swinging its arm in an arc. Too late you notice the chains wrapped around its wrist, and though you managed to get your axe up in time, the sheer force of the blow sends you sprawling to the ground. Haley rushes at the creature's exposed back, stabbing it. The creature ignores her, and steps toward you. You force yourself to stand, and raise your axe.

Rain is there first, her pegasus seeming to leap off the creature's back as she deftly stabs with her lance. Wendy slows to a hover, slashing with her speartip. The creature roars, and swings its lance in retaliation, but it finds only air. You seize this opportunity to drive your axe into the creature's chest, as deep as you can. It stumbles, but manages to keep its feet. An arrow thuds into its neck, and a pair of lances join your axe in its chest, and Haley slashes away at its back. The creature sinks to the ground, its eyes slowly losing their glow...

End of Chapter 2

Recovered June's Axe!

New Character!
Wendy
Class: Pegasus Knight
Weapons: Lance, sword*
Skills: Tantavity, Focus
HP: **
Str: *
Mag: **
Skill: **
Spd: **
Def: **
Res: **
Luck: *
Items: Iron lance, bronze sword

New Character!
Haley
Class: Pegasus Knight
Weapons: Lance, sword*
Skills: Deliverer, speed +
HP: **
Str: **
Mag: *
Skill: **
Spd: **(*)
Def: **
Res: **
Luck: **
Items: Bronze lance, iron sword